Platforms to be connected to water closet bowls



p 1958 B. R. DUBAY ETAL 2,851,697

PLATFORMS TO BE CONNECTED TO WATER CLOSET BOWLS Filedllov. 5. 195a i 1a Q I I 22 Fig; 5

V INVENTOR. BARBARA R DUBAY EUGENE J. DUBAY ATTORNEY 5 United States Patent Q l PLATFORMS TO BE-CONNECTED T WATER CLOSET BOWLS Barbara R. Dubay and Eugene .J. Dubay, Portland, Oreg.

Application November '5, 1956, Serial No. 620,414

-4 Claims. .(Cl.-4 -254) The :present invention relates to portable platforms for connection to water closet bowls so that young .chilthen can step :up on :the same to .use the regular water closet bowl.

The primary .object of the invention is to provide a platform that can be adapted to any standard water closet bowl wherein younger children can step -up on the same while using the water .closet.

Another object .of the invention is ;to provide :a platform that can be .installed or removed from tthe twater closet bowl easily by adults and not by children.

Other objects and-advantageswill become apparent in the following specification aWhen considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a water closet bowl shown in br ken lines, showing the invention attached thereto partially broken away.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the platform, shown partially broken away, with the position of the water closet bowl shown by broken lines.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken on the line 33. of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken on the line 44 of Figure 1, looking in the dire-ction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a removable insert associated with the invention.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary inverted plan view of one side of the platform shown partially broken away and in section.

Figure 7 is a modified form of cam locking mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference character F indicates generally an elevated platform for attachment to water closet bowls. The platform F consists of a horizontal step portion 10, having rearwardly extending parallel spaced apart horizontal arms 11 and 12. The arms 11 and 12 turn outwardly at 13, the object of which will be later described.

The inner edge of the step 10 between the arms 11 and 12 and the inner edges of the rearwardly disposed arms 11 and 12 have grooves 14 and 14' formed therein and adapted to receive an insert panel member 15. Referring particularly to Figure 5, the member 15 consists of a relatively thin sheet of material, being scored throughout most of its area, as indicated by V-shaped score lines 16, referring also to Figure 3.

The forward edge 17 of the member 15 enters the groove 14 formed on the inner edge of the step 10, while the oppositely disposed edges 18 of the member 15 are adapted to enter the grooves 14' formed along the inner edge of the arms 11 and 12.

In Figure 2, a considerable part of the scored portion of the member 15 has been broken away forming a U-shaped space 19, which is adapted to closely embrace the forward portion 20 of the water closet bowl W, re

2,851 ,697 Patented Sept. 16, 1958 ice 2 ferring also to Figure 1. Different designs of bowls W will require various shapes or sizes of spaces 19 to be formed :in the insert member 15 in order to adapt the platform 10 to the bowl W-in question.

Inclined .cams '21 extend laterally from rectangular tubular keepers 22, which embrace the arms 11 and 12 and slide therealong. The keepers 22 are positioned on the arms 11 and 12 by push and :pull bars 23, referring particularly to Figures 1, 3, 4 and 6. bars 23 are pivotally connected at 24 to the keepers 22, while the opposite end of each .of the .bars 23 is turned. .downwardly at .25 forming a handle to receive the fingers of the operator.

The bars 23 pass through holders .or stops 26, which arezformed .on the underside of theextension arms 1.1.and

. 12 of the platform F. The stops 26 have openings .27

formed therein. The .upper part 28 of the openings 27 are slightly wider than .the push and pull 'bars 23, while the lower portion 29 of the openings 27 are narrower than the bars :23.

Teeth 3i) are formed along .one edge of the bars 23 and engage one of the-edges131.of.the.stops 26 for bolding :the bar 23 .in a fixed position. When the bar 23 is raised by the operator using the finger hold 25, it will pass through the stop 26 freely, but on releasing the same it will drop .down on one of the teeth 30 with the .edgegivli of the stop 26.

Tl he step '10 ,and :the rearwardly extending arms 11 and 12 are supported upon legs L. The legs L consist of a horizontal portion 32, having the downwardly extending spaced parallel legs 33 forming part thereof. The upper edge of the horizontal portion 32 has a dovetail tongue 34 formed therealong and engaged in a dovetail groove 35 formed under the step It) and arms 11 and 12 of the platform F, as best illustrated in Figure 3. With this structure it is possible to remove the legs 33 from the step 10 for shipping or storing purposes.

The lower part of the legs 33 are scored at 36 and have flexible foot members 37 positioned thereon. The object of scoring the lower end of the legs 33 is to adjust the height of the platform 10 in reference to the Water closet bowl W particularly in regards to the rounded portion 38 of the bowl W, as not all bowls W are of the same vertical proportion.

Referring to Figure 7, another form of mechanical embodiment is disclosed in reference to the locking and holding cams 21 wherein an individual locking pin 39 forms part of the keeper 22, and is adapted to engage a ratchet surface 40 formed on the arms 11 and 12.

' The installation of this new and improved platform F for children on water closet bowls will now be described. When the device is shipped from the source of supply, the legs L will have been removed from the step 10 and the arms 11 and 12, requiring a minimum amount of shipping and storing space.

When the device is to be installed on the water closet bowl W, the dove-tailed tongues 34 on the upper edge of the legs 33 are registered with the dove-tailed grooves 35 on the under surface of the step 10 and forced therein to the position shown in the drawings. The holding earns 21 are moved to the broken line position shown in Figure 2. This will permit the arms 11 and 12 to embrace the base B of the water closet bowl W.

When the insert member 15 engages the forward edge 20 of the base B, the operator will readily see how much of the insert member 15 will have to be broken away to embrace the base of the water closet bowl in width and in regards to the position that the step 10 will extend beyond the forward edge of the bowl W. He can then break out the necessary amount of material by breaking along the score marks 16 to adapt the same to the bowl One end of the W in question. He can also determine how much, if any, material to remove from the bottom of the legs 33 to adjust the top of the arms 11 and 12 to the bottom of the rounded portion 38 of the water closet bowl W. After breaking the lower portion of the legs ofi, if required, the protecting feet 37 can be replaced thereon.

After these adjustments have been made the operator moves the platform F from the front of the bowl W rearwardly, embracing the base B by the arms 11 and 12, the space 19 of the insert member 15 positioning the platform F in regards to the bowl W. He then can grasp the hand hold 25 of the pull rods 23 pulling the keepers 22 and their cams 21 towards the bowl W until the edges of the inner surface of the earns 21 engage the rear of the base B of the bowl W, as best illustrated in Figure 2.

When the earns 21 engage the bowl W, the operator releases the hand holds 25 of the push and pull rods 23, allowing them to drop down within the bottom of the opening 27 of the stops 26 where one of the notches 30 will engage the edge 31 of the stop 26, holding the earns 21 in a fixed position.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may to be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A platform for connection to a toilet bowl comprising a panel, a pair of spaced parallel arms extending from one side of said panel, legs detachably secured to said paneland said arms in depending supporting relation 4 thereto, means arranged on said arms for sliding movement thereon toward and away from said panel for engaging said toilet bowl detachably securing said platform thereto, and means on said platform for releasably securing said last named means on said arms in a selected adjusted position.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a spacer panel shaped to fit said toilet bowl is secured to said panel and said arms resting in grooves formed in the inner edges of said panel and said arms.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for securing said platform to said toilet bowl includes tubular sliding members encompassing said arms and said arms are provided with outwardly flared end portions with said members slidable onto said outwardly flared end portions to a position out of engagement with said toilet bowl.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said tubular slide members are provided with rearwardly and inwardly converging toilet bowl engaging bars.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,760,346 Correa May 27, 1930 1,798,632 Romer Mar. 31, 1931 2,629,882 Blumenshine Mar. 3, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,726 Great Britain Mar. 6, 1914 

